At St. John the Evangelist Church in Los Angeles, parishioners wrapped up a month of child safety prayers and awareness by hanging 1,000 paper cranes. Each crane symbolizes a victim of child abuse, and represents the parish’s prayers of hope and healing.
Since the USCCB designated April as “Keep Kids Safe Month,” the Safeguard the Children Committee at SJE has organized month-long events to keep parishioners actively involved in the important work of child safety.
This year, parishioners were given blue-ribbons pins on the first Sunday of the month, and asked to wear them throughout the month as a reminder of the need to pray for the safety and welfare of children and young people.
The church passed out “Prayers for Victims” Cards on the second Sunday, inviting everyone to include victims of child abuse in their prayers at home. On Easter Sunday, these prayers were offered from the pulpit. The month concluded with the hanging of the cranes, made by Hector Munoz and his family, which represented the thousands of prayers offered each day for child abuse victims across the world. Everyone in the SJE community was given information about internet safety, and children were asked to sign “Safety Pledges.”
Start your day with Always Forward, our award-winning e-newsletter. Get this smart, handpicked selection of the day’s top news, analysis, and opinion, delivered to your inbox. Sign up absolutely free today!
